Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Mentor/Supervising Professor Name
Salinas, Harvey
Presentation Location
On Campus
Description
Site selection is a critical step for conducting an ecological survey. Inappropriate site selection may lead to confounding variables being included in your data and result in incorrect or inconclusive conclusions 1,2. The Jorō spider, Trichonephila clavata, is an invasive species 3 that is currently expanding through the Southeaster United States4. However, it remains unclear how far the spider will spread and what impact the spider will have on local ecosystems. Early results do suggest that Jorōs are having a negative impact on native orb-weaving spiders4, but more systematic research is needed to verify and elucidate these effects. The goal of this study was to create a tool for selecting survey locations that are ecologically matched expect for the variable(s) of interest i.e., using a match-paired design5. Here we present a proof of concept interactive dashboard to show what is possible and determine what should be improved. We believe that the utility of the tool extends beyond just the Jorō problem, and we envision that it can be expanded to include additional variables and more precise user control allowing scientists to produce more robust results and thus have a greater impact on policy making.
Included in
A Tool for Selecting Ecological Survey Locations in the Southeastern United States Using a Matched-Paired Design
On Campus
Site selection is a critical step for conducting an ecological survey. Inappropriate site selection may lead to confounding variables being included in your data and result in incorrect or inconclusive conclusions 1,2. The Jorō spider, Trichonephila clavata, is an invasive species 3 that is currently expanding through the Southeaster United States4. However, it remains unclear how far the spider will spread and what impact the spider will have on local ecosystems. Early results do suggest that Jorōs are having a negative impact on native orb-weaving spiders4, but more systematic research is needed to verify and elucidate these effects. The goal of this study was to create a tool for selecting survey locations that are ecologically matched expect for the variable(s) of interest i.e., using a match-paired design5. Here we present a proof of concept interactive dashboard to show what is possible and determine what should be improved. We believe that the utility of the tool extends beyond just the Jorō problem, and we envision that it can be expanded to include additional variables and more precise user control allowing scientists to produce more robust results and thus have a greater impact on policy making.